Everyone likes clean wheels but not everyone has them. Why? Because wheels can be tricky for many to clean. They are unsure of the tools and chemicals to use and that ends with a big headache and uncleaned wheels.

Today you will see how to quickly and safely clean your wheels thoroughly. I will show you 3 must-have wheel cleaning tools and what I personally believe is the best wheel cleaner on the market. With these 4 items, your wheels will be easier to clean and they will stay looking better without killing yourself or destroying your knuckles.

All wheel cleaners have their own blend and have different directions. Make sure to always follow the direction as noted on the bottle.

We begin by applying the Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus to a cool wheel. Be sure to coat the face and the barrel with the cleaner.

Shortly after applying the cleaner, it will begin to turn a deep purple color. The product is now breaking down ferrous materials…not just removing them.

Allow the cleaner to dwell for 3-5 minutes per the directions(including your clean time).

Draw out your wheel barrel tool and go to town on the inner barrel. The long reach will allow you to easily clean the deeper recesses. Be sure to sway the tool behind the spokes as well!

Then move to your deep dish brush. It has a flexible stem that can be bent to reach behind spokes and around the hub mount of the wheel. It can also be used on the barrel when the wheel barrel tool is too thick to fit between surfaces.

If you have run out of time at this point, rinse the wheels and reapply for further cleaning. If you still have time on the clock, move forward with the cleaner that has already been applied.

The boar’s hair brush is great for getting into nooks and crannies on wheels and caliper faces(sides and rear can be used with the tools noted above). Wheel lug recesses can be a pain but with a boar’s hair brush you should not have any problems.

Finally, rinse those bad boys off! If you missed spots or the filth was extra heavy, additional treatments may be needed. You should be left with a beautiful wheel when it is all said and done!!

And for when you must have the best of the best, get a Modesta wheel coating applied to your wheels! It will make ongoing care even easier and your wheels will be better protected for years to come.

Here’s an example of a set of wheels that we protected with a coating years ago. The best practices for cleaning wheels is to use tools but in this video we can see how well they clean up even when not ideally cleaned with tools.